Eilistraee
Eilistraee was the chaotic good drow goddess of song, dance, swordwork, hunting, moonlight, goodness, and beauty, within the drow pantheon known as the Dark Seldarine.“Eilistraee.” 2018. October 29, 2018. https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Eilistraee. She was the patroness and protector of the few dark elves who longed to return to the surface and live there, at peace with other races, and to abandon the endless conflicts and intrigues that dominated the lives of most drow. She was often referred to as the The Dark Maiden, the Lady of the Dance, or Lady Silverhair,Greenwood, E., S. Williams, S. K. Reynolds, and R. Heinsoo. 2001. In Forgotten Realms, 237, 240–241. Wizards of the Coast.Boyd, E., and E. Mona. 2002. In Faiths and Pantheons, 23–25. Wizards of the Coast.Greenwood, E. 1991. In The Drow of the Underdark, 20–25. TSR, Inc.Boyd, E. L. 1998. In Demihuman Deities, 13–16. Wizards of the Coast. and sometimes The Dark Dancer, among other titles.Greenwood, E. 1999. In Silverfall. Wizards of the Coast. Briefly, she was known as The Masked Lady, while her faith subsumed that of the Masked Lord Vhaeraun, her divine brother.Smedman, L. 2007. Storm of the Dead. Wizards of the Coast.James, B. R., E. Greenwood, G. Krashos, E. L. Boyd, and T. Costa. 2007. In The Grand History of the Realms, 158–59. Wizards of the Coast. Her name was pronounced variously as “EEL-iss-TRAY-yee,” “eel-ISS-tray-ee,” "eel-iss-''tray''-yee,” or “eil-iss-''tray''-yee.” Eilistraee pronounced her own name “AISLE-iss-try-ee,”The Hooded One, and E. Greenwood. 2015. “Candlekeep Forum - Questions for Ed Greenwood (2015).” November 14, 2015. http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=22#476639. while Elminster Aumar, Qilué Veladorn, and the rest of the Seven Sisters pronounced it “Isle-ISS-tree,” even when addressing the goddess face to face.The Hooded One, and E. Greenwood. 2015. “Candlekeep Forum - Questions for Ed Greenwood (2015).” November 14, 2015. http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=22#476688. She was the daughter of Araushnee (later Lolth) and Corellon Larethian, a free-spirited and kind-hearted goddess, with a fiery streak in her personality.Cunningham, E. 1999. Evermeet: Island of Elves. Wizards of the Coast. When, during her youth, a host of evil deities assaulted Arvandor (her home), Araushnee's treachery almost made her slay her own father. Even though she was cleared from any guilt, Eilistraee chose to share her mother’s exile, because she knew that the drow would need her light in the times to come. After the descent of the drow, Eilistraee tried to be a mother goddess to her people and bring them the hope of a new life. She fought to lead them back to the lands of light, helping them to flourish and prosper in harmony with other races, free from Lolth’s tyranny and the conflicts that dominated their lives.The Hooded One, and E. Greenwood. 2006. “Candlekeep Forum - Questions for Ed Greenwood (2006).” April 13, 2006. http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5812&whichpage=27#129882. Hers was an uphill battle, however, as her power was little and she was opposed by all the gods of the Dark Seldarine. But, despite having to overcome many hardships and setbacks, Eilistraee never gave up fighting for her people. In the 1370s DR, her conflict with her mother over the souls of the drow race ultimately led to Eilistraee’s defeat and disappearance.Smedman, L. 2008. Ascendancy of the Last. Wizards of the Coast. It lasted for about a century, until the Second Sundering (circa 1480s DR), when Eilistraee returned to life and to her followers.Mohan, K. 2015. In Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide, 23, 108. Wizards of the Coast.Mearls, M., J. Crawford, K. (Ed.) Mohan, and M. Carter. 2018. In Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, 53–57. Wizards of the Coast.The Hooded One, and E. Greenwood. 2015. “Candlekeep Forum - Questions for Ed Greenwood (2015).” April 17, 2015. http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=13#468322. See also * Category:Immersion * Tulasī References Category:Χ-BL2532.T45 Category:Dungeons and Dragons (Game) Category:Elven gods & goddesses—Mythology Category:Lilith